Page 110 - RusRPTMay20

9.1.8​ Telecoms sector news
Russians spent RUB2.8 trillion on 225mn smartphones in 2010–2019, or 53% more than in 2019​, mobile electronics seller Svyaznoy said on April 3. The average smartphone price rose by 31%: from RUB12,500 in 2010 to RUB16,900 in 2019. The bestseller in money was Nokia 5230 in 2010 and Apple’s iPhone XR 64 GB in 2019. In units, Nokia 5230 led in 2010, while the top model in 2019 was Honor 7A.
Russian mobile operators could receive 5G frequencies auction-free should the state receive a share in the joint venture that would undertake the 5G rollout in the country​, ​Vedomosti d​ aily reported on April 6 citing a strategy drafted by the Ministry of Communication. As reported by ​bne IntelliNews,​ tomeetthechallengesofthecostly5Grollout,attheendof2019 Russia's largest telecom carriers Mobile TeleSystems (MTS), Veon, Megafon and state-controlled Rostelecom agreed to combine their efforts in developing and optimising the usage of 5G network. However, the terms of co-operation in such a joint venture have remained largely unclear. In addition, the Ministry of Communication ​did not support the idea of 5G rollout by a joint venture​ of telecom operators, sticking to the idea of a single nationwide operator instead.
9.1.9 ​Tourism sector news
The Russian government has allocated up to RUB3.5bn ($47.3mn) from the country’s reserve fund ​to reimburse tour operators for their losses due to the coronavirus outbreak, ​Regnum ​reported. The funds will be used to reimburse expenses incurred in implementing measures – under agreements on sales of tourist products in international tourism under the limits of coronavirus infection; returning tourists from high and middle-risk countries, the statement said. The Federal Tourism Agency (​Rosturizm​) will monitor the use of these budget allocations and submit a report before October 1, 2020.
110​ RUSSIA Country Report​ May 2020 ​ ​www.intellinews.com